Chapter 20 #2
“Could be eye-opening,” said Jerome.
Nola would have loved to see Parker Black get the humbling he deserved, but she had no desire to feed her daughter to the
wolves. “I think he should come work in the store, but I’m not letting Alice go on his show. She’s done nothing to deserve
getting turned into a target.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “I agree.”
“So that’s the deal. We get him and they can take me if they want, but they don’t get Alice.”
Jerome swallowed a mouthful of linguine. “It makes sense that they’d want Alice. She and Parker are similar in age.”
“I won’t do that to her,” Nola said. Alice had taken enough hits thanks to Parker Black.
“What if Alice didn’t get sent in alone? What if she had someone with her, a human shield?”
“Like?”
“Me. I’ve been a guest on the show more than once. I could go on as co-host, put anyone who tried to bully her in his place.
Does she know anything about sports?”
“No. She’s not the sporty type.”
“Perfect. Callers can explain the mysteries of first, second, third and fourth downs to her. She might just convert some of
them to book lovers, too. And help them with their woman problems. She’d definitely be a better help than Parker. Could be
kind of cute.”
Or it could be a complete disaster.
“Give her the chance to say yes or no. Either way, I like the idea of my nephew having to spend some time with women who have
their act together. Considering the women he’s wasted time on in the past, it will be a great education. God knows he needs
it if he’s ever going to be able to move on with his life. You’d actually be doing a good deed. If you can put up with educating
him.”
The idea of educating the recalcitrant Parker Black put a smile on Nola’s face. “I would enjoy having Parker help out in the
store, but I don’t like the idea of sending Alice to the station, even with you beside her,” Nola said.
“But she might. At least give her the option of deciding for herself.”
“I don’t know. She’s so . . . shy.”
“She wasn’t too shy to debate my nephew,” he pointed out.
Or face off in front of the bookstore. But still.
“Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to nudge people outside their comfort zones.”
“I know she needs to spread her wings,” Nola said.
“Then why not give her the chance? Let her decide for herself?”
Because Alice wasn’t ready to fly that high. What Jay Barker was proposing called for the wings of an eagle. Alice was a dove.
“It wouldn’t be right to put her on the spot. He’ll have to take me. And I’m not sure I want to do this. It’s nothing but . . .”
“Another publicity stunt,” Jerome supplied. “If you play it right, it could be fun, and good publicity for your store as well.
And my offer still stands no matter which one of you wants to get in the game.”
The idea of sitting side by side with the Jerome for a week did sound appealing. Nola’s husband had been a football fan. Not
a fanatic, but she’d watched enough games with him, gone to enough Super Bowl parties to know a few things. She could probably
hold her own. And the idea of getting free advertising for the store was appealing.
And Alice could hold down the fort at the store.
With the enemy inside the gates? No.
Nola shook her head. “This is a bad idea. I’m calling him back to tell him it’s a no.”
He nodded and sat silent while she called the station and left a message for Jay Barker, politely telling him to take a hike.
“You’re probably right to turn him down,” Jerome said when she’d finished.
“I know I am,” she said. “We’ve engaged in enough foolishness.”
“How was your lunch?” Alice asked Nola when she returned to the bookstore two hours later.
“It was nice,” said Nola.
“And you had a good time with Jerome?” Alice asked.
“Yes, I did.”
“So, he’s nothing like his nephew then,” Alice persisted. Her mother’s smile wasn’t very big. If she’d had a nice lunch with
a nice man, why was she being so lukewarm?
“He certainly isn’t.”
The store phone rang, and Bettina answered. “Alice, it’s for you. It’s a man.”
“A man,” Nola repeated. “I’ll take it,” she said and grabbed the phone. “Who’s speaking?” she demanded. Then, “You already
have my answer. Goodbye.”
“Mom, who was that?” Alice asked as she put down the phone.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Nola.
Okay, something strange was going on here. “But he asked for me,” Alice persisted. “Who was it?”
Her mother looked like she’d eaten a rotten nut. “It was Parker Black’s producer.”
“Him!” Bettina said in disgust.
“Why did he want to talk to me?” Alice asked.
“He’s just being a pest,” said Nola.
“Mom. I’m your partner. I have a right to know,” Alice said. “You’ve been acting funny ever since you came back from lunch.
What’s going on?” Still, her mother hesitated. “I can call the station and find out,” Alice said.
“They’re just trying to pull another publicity stunt,” Nola said in disgust. “And we’re done playing their silly games and
boosting their ratings.”
“What is it?” Why was Alice having such a hard time pulling the details out of her mother? It had to involve her somehow.
“He wants to put Parker to work here in the bookstore for a week.”
“To learn his lesson?” As if he ever could.
“Supposedly.”
Working side by side with Parker Black, spending every day fighting off that unwanted attraction she felt for him. Could Alice
do it? Probably, since he would be determined to be insulting and irritating.
“What are they offering us in return?” Alice asked.
“Free advertising on the station’s afternoon show,” Nola replied. Reluctantly.
“Advertising’s not cheap,” Bettina said.
It sure wasn’t. Still . . . “I don’t know if I could stand being around him every day for a week,” Alice mused.
“Too bad. I’d love to have that boy in here to boss around,” Bettina said.
“It would be in exchange for you hosting his show,” Nola said.
“Ah, so that’s the catch,” Bettina said, nodding. “Trading places.”
“I don’t know anything about sports,” Alice said.
“Which is why I said no. I told him it was me or nothing. Jay Barker was trying to get around that just now.”
Free advertising for the store. Could she do it? “How long is this supposed to last?”
“A week,” said Nola. “I won’t have you doing it,” she said firmly.
“I think she can handle it,” Bettina said. “Can’t you, Alice?”
Alice could feel her heart rate picking up. She’d already had to debate Parker on his show and look where that had gotten
her. His fans would eat her alive.
“His listeners don’t like women,” Nola said to Bettina. “Remember the strike.”
“Look what happened in the end with the strike,” Bettina reminded her. “I bet his listeners aren’t all woman haters.”
“Like Parker,” said Alice.
“Maybe you can read from some romance novels,” Bettina said with a grin.
“Oh, no,” Alice said. His listeners would really flay her alive if she did that.
“Not every sports romance gets stuff wrong,” said Bettina. “I’d still like to know what book sent him over the edge in the first place.”
“According to his uncle it was one written by his ex,” said Nola. “Remember that hockey novel ARC we received? By a Luna something
or other? I think we wound up giving it to Lina to check out.”
Alice thought a moment. “I vaguely remember the cover. What was the title? Oh, Cold Hands. Lina thought it was only okay, so we didn’t order in more than a couple of copies. I think we wound up giving those away
as part of our Valentine freebie offer.”
“She made Parker the villain in it, then dedicated the book to him to rub salt in the wound. I guess she’s been bashing him
in interviews ever since,” said Nola.
“How is it we didn’t know that?” Alice said, shocked.
“Because we don’t have time to listen to every podcast or interview every author who contacts the store. And we can’t read
every book that comes through,” Nola replied. “Anyway, it’s no excuse for his immature behavior.”
“Agreed,” Alice said, remembering their encounters.
Except their last one had been different. Maybe his apology really had been sincere. Even if it hadn’t been, she liked the
idea of him doing penance in the bookstore. She also liked envisioning herself as brave enough to go on the show.
“I want to do it,” she said.
“Alice, that is not a good idea.”
“I can do it, Mom,” Alice insisted. “Remember how you told me you wanted me to get out there and do more?”
“Yes, but not this,” said Nola. “It’s a terrible idea and I won’t see you hurt again.”
Alice thought of everything she’d managed to do in the last few weeks. She’d debated Parker Black on air and survived. Gotten bruised by public humiliation, but she was still standing. And she’d managed to help subvert his ridiculous strike.
“I want to,” she insisted. Characters trading places was one of her favorite romance tropes. She would be a fish out of water,
but she would be a beta fish. “I’m calling his producer,” she said with a firm nod. “Game on.”